Thursday, March 5

How Red Kale Will Help You Look Like a Smart Shopper

It happens every week. As I'm selecting my Swiss chard, kale, or collards, someone inevitably sidles up to me and asks, "What do you do with that?" Then after I share a recipe idea, she usually follows up with, "To me, they're all the same."

No wonder people get confused. Every time you go to the supermarket all the winter greens are mixed together in one big, undivided, forest green section, with seemingly randomly placed signs and prices scattered above and below them. It's like a game: Match the green on the left column with the correct name and price on the right column. Chances are you probably just select the green that your mom made when you were growing up because it's the one you actually know how to cook.

Well here's a tip that will make you look like a savvy supermarket shopper. Buy red kale. It's the one winter green that you can always correctly identify. Red kale has red tinged curly, oak shaped leaves with a dramatic purple vein down the center. There's no mistaking it for collards.

So next time you're at the greens section and everyone else is desperately trying to figure out what's what, casually stroll over, pluck a head of brightly colored red kale off the shelf and place it in your cart. Don't hesitate or glance up at the signs. Stay cool. Then head to the check out aisle. Mission accomplished.

Red kale is a type of Russian kale that is super high in vitamins K, A, and C and may even help prevent cancer. Unlike other members of the brassica family, such as green dinosaur kale and mustard greens, red kale's flavor is more sweet than bitter, and its leaves are more tender. Red kale can be eaten raw in salads or it can be steamed, boiled, or sauteed. If you have a small refrigerator and don't want to take up half a shelf with a bunch of kale, then par-boil it and store it in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.

Curried Red Lentil, Chickpea, and Red Kale SoupThis healthy Indian-inspired red lentil soup is enticingly aromatic and flavorful. Top it with a garnish of toasted coconut and chopped peanuts for a little crunch.

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté until golden, about 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add kale; boil for 2-3 minutes, then drain. (This will make it more tender). Add drained kale, lentils, chickpeas, and broth to the carrot mixture; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 12-15 minutes or until lentils are tender.

Pour half of the lentil mixture into a blender; let stand for 5 minutes (so the soup will cool and not cause the cover to pop off!). Pour pureed lentil mixture into a bowl, and repeat process with the remaining half. Once the soup is blended, return to the pan; add coconut milk, spices, ginger, and salt; stir well. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated through. Remove from heat; season to taste with salt. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with toasted coconut and peanuts.

Indian soups and stews have been a big part of our winter meals! This one looks great. Me, I'm more of a dinosaur kale girl, but willing to try other kale varieties from time to time. My other fave: dandelion greens :-)

oh, so that is called red kale? they grow like mad in our garden, self-seeding! i usually just use it for salad, a bit bitter, but it's just for the goodness it's carried, I suppose :) interesting idea using it for soup. should try that one out.

I love Red Russian Kale, and I was a bit of a slacker about completely removing it from the garden, so I'm hoping it might re-seed for this year. The sounds sounds completely fabulous. I'd love to have this for dinner any night!

Susan,This soup sounds really good, I must admit I have never tried kale... One of those things on my list to try :)I posted first recipe "stollen" from Jamaica today... I plan to make patties tomorrow and some more things later this week. I wish I had easier access to some of the ingredients that are really hard to find here... I spend all day today looking for annatto seeds, with no result.Anyway, enjoy your weekend, Margot